[Cricket] The village / amateur 2024 CRICKET thread...

[amexer]

Its going to be a long 6 months for mum and dad though!
The fact that Tamworth have provided everything (air tickets, a car to use, work, board) has made it all possible tbh - no way we could afford to do it. We are hoping to get down there in January for a couple of weeks though to see him...fingers crossed!

If they are spending all that money will they be insisting on loads of runs and wickets and to win there league

 

[hans kraay fan club]

If they are spending all that money will they be insisting on loads of runs and wickets and to win there league

That is the optimum outcome, from the sponsoring club's side of the deal.

But in reality - and I've played with and against a lot of overseas players, over the years - if they train and play hard, integrate well socially with the team and contribute well to the wider club (coaching the juniors, etc), then everybody will be happy, even if the runs / wickets output is modest.

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

If they are spending all that money will they be insisting on loads of runs and wickets and to win there league

He had to provide video of his performances for Sussex u18s and 2's before they made a decision, so Im assuming they were happy with what they're getting as hes on the plane soon.
Sport is a fickle business though...especially cricket. Score for fun one week, cant buy a run or wicket the next. As @hans kraay fan club says though, hopefully him helping coach at the club, and local school, (plus working outside of that) will go a long way to being a successful trip for both parties.

 

[Eeyore]

We're playing here Sunday, if the weather allows. The scene of my favourite ever picture I took for our site. So VILLAGE. Can you guess where in Sussex it is ?

 

[Guinness Boy]

We're playing here Sunday, if the weather allows. The scene of my favourite ever picture I took for our site. So VILLAGE. Can you guess where in Sussex it is ?

View attachment 188526

Staplefield?

 

[Eeyore]

Staplefield?

Not Staplefield, no. I still haven't forgiven them for denying that last over lbw in 1992.

 

[Audax]

Well that's us done. Relegated by the weather. Game called off as pitch unsafe to bowl on.

 

[METALMICKY]

We're playing here Sunday, if the weather allows. The scene of my favourite ever picture I took for our site. So VILLAGE. Can you guess where in Sussex it is ?

View attachment 188526

Southwick?

 

[Eeyore]

Southwick?

GB was closer with Staplefield, although needs to travel much further north east.

Can't be Southwick, the batsman looks like he's eying up a maximum

 

[Springal]

 

[fisons]

He had to provide video of his performances for Sussex u18s and 2's before they made a decision, so Im assuming they were happy with what they're getting as hes on the plane soon.
Sport is a fickle business though...especially cricket. Score for fun one week, cant buy a run or wicket the next. As @hans kraay fan club says though, hopefully him helping coach at the club, and local school, (plus working outside of that) will go a long way to being a successful trip for both parties.

We all wish Frankie the very best for his trip to Australia and look forward to your regular updates

 

[Ali_rrr]

That is the optimum outcome, from the sponsoring club's side of the deal.

But in reality - and I've played with and against a lot of overseas players, over the years - if they train and play hard, integrate well socially with the team and contribute well to the wider club (coaching the juniors, etc), then everybody will be happy, even if the runs / wickets output is modest.

Absolutely this. We’ve also sent some boys to Australia and whilst they expect some return, they know for a lot of them it’s the experience. If they really wanted the runs and wickets they’d pay a local player the amount they’re giving to overseas.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

He had to provide video of his performances for Sussex u18s and 2's before they made a decision, so Im assuming they were happy with what they're getting as hes on the plane soon.
Sport is a fickle business though...especially cricket. Score for fun one week, cant buy a run or wicket the next. As @hans kraay fan club says though, hopefully him helping coach at the club, and local school, (plus working outside of that) will go a long way to being a successful trip for both parties.

I didn't know there was an Under 2's team.

Starting young?

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

I didn't know there was an Under 2's team.

Starting young?

Sorry...the second XI

 

[ROSM]

The league season came to an end on Saturday. In the late evening gloom at preston park velodrome, Rottingdean 3rd wrapped up the win to make them division winners.

Burgess Hill and Lindfield who were second and third respectively at the start of the day, fought out a low scoring , rain impacted game with Lindfield romping home to lead the table for an hour or so. So all eyes moved to St Peters. In another rain affected game Rottingdean set a perhaps under par total of 160. The home side were always behind the rate and were losing regular wickets. Great sportsmanship by Rottingdean not to run out the poor batsman who damaged his hamstring going for a quick single.

In the end Rottingdean didn't bowl out their opposition (they got 8 plus the retired hurt) but did win by 29 runs.

My son took the 1st two wickets in a spell that was 7 overs, 2 maidens 2 for 13. He came back later for his last over with an aim to keep the runs down (they needed 9 an over at that point) and went for 4 off it. All in all, after a stop start season with the thumb injury he played 6 league games and took 12 wickets at an average of just over 2 runs an over

Another Rottingdean bowler took 4 for 24 and was close to being the top wickets in the division, however a Henfield player in the other played game saturday took 6 (including the last 5 in the match) to pip him by 2 for that honour.

Well played to the St Peters team who pushed to get the game on

As for the rest of the Rottingdean sides, 1sts sadly didn't avoid relegation from div 2. 2nds finished 2nd in div 7 and 4ths finished 3rd at level 12 due to a controversial league decision to discount an early week opposition concession which went as a victory and change it to a cancelled game (10 pts) as all other games that weekend were rained off.

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

We all wish Frankie the very best for his trip to Australia and look forward to your regular updates

Thank you.
Hes not been playing for Mayfield much lately as hes been with the Sussex squads so much - but hes really looking forward to getting back into some club cricket once he touches down in Sydney.
He did his Level 1 coaching course a couple of weeks ago, and has been asked to go up to Blackstone tonight to help coach the Sussex U16s which hes really looking forward to, and it should help him get in the swing of things for coaching at Farrer Memorial Agricultural HS when he gets over there!

 

[Audax]

Well that's us done. Relegated by the weather. Game called off as pitch unsafe to bowl on.

Brief post made via mobile phone was very brief . Alfriston insisted all through the morning that the pitch was ok to play on, so we travelled to the ground. Beautiful setting, although the ground itself is weird (it must have originally been on a bit of a slope before someone decided that the square should be levelled by digging out some of the slope ... leaving a rather steeper slope on one side of the ground for the fielders to deal with). Anyway, we got there to discover that a) they only had covers for the stump ends and last few paces of bowlers run up, and b) had taken said covers off earlier in the morning *before* a heavy shower rolled through.

All in all, despite our run of losses it was a very enjoyable season. My first full season since 2015 (following 2 part-time seasons with the 2nds), and was really happy to be picked with the 1st's whenever available. Disappointing season with the bat (despite feeling good whenever I got in, I'm not great at motoring from the go and usually found myself going in late in an innings needing to score quickly). An average of 9 for the season, propped up by two not-out innings of 15 and 19.

Bowling was up and down, but I can't complain given the lack of pre-season and the troubles I had with footwear early on. Economy rate of 5 was well above my best (3 to 3.5 target), but a strike rate of 25 and average of 21 I can be relatively happy with. Already looking forward to next season - plan is to spend the off-season working on my bowling fitness (core strength, and legs) so I can hopefully deliver more consistent performances. Not as young as I once was (on the countdown to 50), those minor niggles I could shrug off in the past need to be dealt with ahead of time now...

 

[Guinness Boy]

That is the optimum outcome, from the sponsoring club's side of the deal.

But in reality - and I've played with and against a lot of overseas players, over the years - if they train and play hard, integrate well socially with the team and contribute well to the wider club (coaching the juniors, etc), then everybody will be happy, even if the runs / wickets output is modest.

Bit random but did your brother (or another relative) end up with a batting average of 95 this season? I follow a few cricket accounts on Twitter and a tweet from York CC just ended up on my 'for you' feed with a familiar name from school on.

 

[Gwylan]

As for the rest of the Rottingdean sides, 1sts sadly didn't avoid relegation from div 2. 2nds finished 2nd in div 7 and 4ths finished 3rd at level 12 due to a controversial league decision to discount an early week opposition concession which went as a victory and change it to a cancelled game (10 pts) as all other games that weekend were rained off.

By coincidence, my Uber driver home this evening played for Rottingdean and was bemoaning their relegation. Interesting chat as we knew a few players in common - although he plays at a far higher level than I ever did.

 

[Chicken Run]

The league season came to an end on Saturday. In the late evening gloom at preston park velodrome, Rottingdean 3rd wrapped up the win to make them division winners.

Burgess Hill and Lindfield who were second and third respectively at the start of the day, fought out a low scoring , rain impacted game with Lindfield romping home to lead the table for an hour or so. So all eyes moved to St Peters. In another rain affected game Rottingdean set a perhaps under par total of 160. The home side were always behind the rate and were losing regular wickets. Great sportsmanship by Rottingdean not to run out the poor batsman who damaged his hamstring going for a quick single.

In the end Rottingdean didn't bowl out their opposition (they got 8 plus the retired hurt) but did win by 29 runs.

My son took the 1st two wickets in a spell that was 7 overs, 2 maidens 2 for 13. He came back later for his last over with an aim to keep the runs down (they needed 9 an over at that point) and went for 4 off it. All in all, after a stop start season with the thumb injury he played 6 league games and took 12 wickets at an average of just over 2 runs an over

Another Rottingdean bowler took 4 for 24 and was close to being the top wickets in the division, however a Henfield player in the other played game saturday took 6 (including the last 5 in the match) to pip him by 2 for that honour.

Well played to the St Peters team who pushed to get the game on

As for the rest of the Rottingdean sides, 1sts sadly didn't avoid relegation from div 2. 2nds finished 2nd in div 7 and 4ths finished 3rd at level 12 due to a controversial league decision to discount an early week opposition concession which went as a victory and change it to a cancelled game (10 pts) as all other games that weekend were rained off.

I’m assuming B & H 1st’s were promoted back to Div 2 ?